Locking slider for slide fasteners



Oct. 5, 1948. J. B. GRIFFIN ETAL LOCKING SLIDER Foa SLIDE FAsTENERsFiled July 26, 1945 Patented ct. 5, 1948 LOCKING SLIDER FOR SLIDEFASTENERS John B. Griffin, Oakvillepand Albert W. Hagan. Stratford,Conn., assignors to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., acorpora- K tion of New Jersey Application July 26, 1945, Serial No.607,240

Claims.

This invention relates to separable slide fasteners and moreparticularly to locking means for preventing accidental movement of theslider along its stringer.

Many different forms of locking means for slide fasteners have beenproposed heretofore and the present invention relates to the type oflocking means that moves automatically to the locking position when notheld by the pull tab in the unlocked position.

One important feature of the present invention resides in a slidefastener comprising a stringer having a slider adapted to be moved backand forth along the stringer by a pull tab, and also having a lockingarrn pivotally mounted on the slider and adapted to be moved to itsunlocked' position by the pull tab which exerts a camming action on thearm to unlock it.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the constructionwhereby when the pull tab is actuated to move the slider in either theslide fastener opening or closing position, it will exert a cammingaction on the locking arm to move it to the unlocked position.

Another feature of the present invention resides in a slide fastener,the slider of which is provided with a pivotally mounted locking arm andthis arm has a locking tongue adapted to enter the space between twoseparate rows of fastener elements, and is specially constructed so thatit will engage the end of an element of one row and will enter partlybetweentwo elements of the opposite row to thereby hold the slider frommoving in either direction alongits Stringer.

The above and other features of the present invention will be more fullyunderstood from the The separable slide fastener shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing comprises a pair of fastener tapes l0 and Il having theinterlocking elements i2. These fastener tapes togetherform what isknown as a Stringer and upon which is mounted the slider I3 adapted whenmoved in one direction along the Stringer to interlock the elements i2and when moved in the opposite direction along the Stringer to unlockthe elements, in a well known manner. For convenience in describing thedevice, the movement of the slider I3 in the direction to unlock theelements is referred to as the rearward direction and the movement ofthe slider in the opposite direction is referred to as the forwarddirection. The narrow and the broad ends of the slider i3 are likewisedesignated as the rear and forward ends, respectively. These partsdesignated by reference characters l@ to i3 inclusive may be of usualconstruction, except for the locking features.

The slider i3 has a bottom wing it and top Wing i5. which are integrallyconnected by the following description when read in connection .with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig'. 1 is a top plan view of a slide fastener'constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the slider o Fig. 1, the fastenertapes being omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the slider taken on the line 3-3of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the slide fast-A A'frog i6 thatretains these wings in spaced relation to each other so that the tapesi@ and il may travel in the clearance space provided between theupwardly extending flanges il on the bottom wing and downwardlyextending flanges i8 on the top wing.

The top wing l5 has upon its upper surface a pair of spaced-integralribs it and between these ribs is provided a channel i9' adapted toreceive the locking arm 20 that is pivotally secured therein by thepivot pin 2i so that the arm 2@ may rock from its locking position inwhich it is shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3 to the unlockedposition in which it is shown in dotted line in Fig. 3. The use of theword integral herein is in the sense that the parts of the slider bodycomprising the bottom and top wings lll and l5, frog it, and spaced ribsi9 are made in one piece from a single piece of material.

The locking arm 20 is continuously urged towards its locking position bya coiled or fiat spring. A coiled spring 22 is shown as confined in as-lot formed in the frog i6 and adapted to press againstther-downwardly. extending portion 23 ot the locking arm `to urge thisarm into locking"k position. The arm 2li as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4has a downwardly extending locking tongue 24 adapted to lie between theseparated rows of elements l2 in a manner to be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the locking tongue24 has been omitted and in place thereof the locking arm 25 may beprovided at one end with the offset downwardly extending lockingprojection 2B adapted to enter between a pair of elements upon one tape.In

order to accommodate this offset locking projection 26 the slider 27 isshown in Fig. 6 as provided with the clearance slot 28 for theprojection 28.

The element engaging tongue 24 is preferably constructed as shown insection in Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that one side wall 24a ofthis tongue extends in a direction substantially parallel with the axisof the slider, that is in the direction of movement of the slider alongthe stringers, and the opposite side wall 24h01 the tongue convergesrearwardly towards the rst wall in the direction of the engaged fastenerelements I2. The purpose of this is to cause such inclined side wall toabut against an end of an element I2 of the tape i i as shown in Fig. 4and thereby prevent the slider from moving in the fastener opening, orrearward direction along the Stringer, while the opposite or horizontalside wall will protrude to some extent between two adjacent elements ofthe tape Into block movement of the slider in the opposite directionalong the Stringer. In order that this horizontal portion of the tongue24 may enter between two elements as shown in Fig. 4 it may be necessaryto point the end of the tongue somewhat, to thereby facilitate itsintroduction into the space between two elements as the locking arm 20moves to its locking position under the influence of the coiled spring22.

Should it be desirable to use the modified construction shown in Figs.and 6 then the offset locking projection 26 disposed at the outer end ofthe arm 25 will enter between two elements I2 at one side of thelongitudinal center of the Stringer instead of being wedged between theseparated rows of elements |2,as in Fig. 4.

On important feature ofthe present invention above mentioned lies in theconstruction whereby the pull tab 29 cooperates with the locking arm tomove this arm to the unlocked position. This is accomplished in theconstruction shown by providing the tab 29 at its inner end with theinwardly projecting pintles 30 which enter the elongated slots 3| formedin the ribs I9, and the ends of these pintles after being introducedinto the slots 3| are forced toward each other into abutting relation.This serves to slidably secure the pull tab 29 to the ribs I9 so thatwhen this tab is pulled in one direction it will slide to one end of theslots 3| and when pulled in the opposite direction it will slide to theother end of these slots. This sliding movement is used to exert acamming action upon the locking arm 20 to force this arm to its unlockedposition in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. To this end thearm 2D of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and arm of Figs. 5 and 6 is -providedwith the angularly disposed camming surfaces 32 and 33 one or the otherof which is engaged by the pintle when the pull tab is shifted from theposition in which it is shown in Fig. 2 to one end or the other of theslots 3|. These slots 3| preferably are curved upwardly at their endslying towards the pivot pin 2| to thereby facilitate the action of thetab 29 in camming the locking arm 20 to its unlocked position as theslider I3 is moved by the tab 29 in the Stringer closing direction.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by employing the construction ofthe present invention the pull tab 29 is slidably secured to an integralportion of the slider I3. This serves to provide a strong durableconnection between the pull tab and its slider, and when the tab isadvanced in either direction along its anchoring slots from a centralposition it will exert a camming action upon the locking arm 20 to movethis arm to the unlocked position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A locking slider for engaging and disengaging the elements ofseparable fasteners, comprising a body having top and bottom wings, apair of spaced ribs integral with said top wing and extendingsubstantially the length thereof, said ribe forming a channeltherebetween which is open at its top, a locking arm pivoted on saidbody and positioned in said channel, a locking projection on said armadapted to engage the fastener elements, resilient means acting uponsaid arm for urging said projection into engagement with said elements,a pull tab, said ribs having laterally aligned elongated slots thereinwhich are encompassed by said ribs for retaining one end of said'pulltab on said slider, said end of said pull tab being slidably andpivotally mounted in said slots and adapted to exert a camming action onsaid locking arm to disengage said locking projection from said elementsand to actuate said slider.

2. locking slider for engaging and dsengaging the elements of separablefasteners, said slider comprising a body having top and bottom wings, apair of spaced ribs integral with said top wing and extendingsubstantially the length thereof, said ribs forming a channeltherebetween which is open at its top, a locking arm pivoted on saidbody and positioned in said channel, a locking projection on said armadapted to engage the fastener elements, resilient means acting uponsaid arm for urging said projection into engagement with said elements,a cam surface on said arm, a pull tab, said ribs having laterallyaligned elongated slots therein which are encompassed by said ribs forretaining one end of said pull tab on said slider, said end of said pulltab ibeing slidably and pivotally mounted in said slots for moving saidslider and adapted to exert a camming action on said cam surface todisengage said projection from said elements when said slider is moved.

3. A locking slider for engaging and disengaging the elements ofseparable fasteners, comprising a body having top and bottom wings, afrog having an element separating end interposed between said wings, a.pair of spaced ribs integral with said top wing and extendingsubstantially the length thereof, said ribs forming a channeltherebetween which is open at its top, a locking arm positioned in saidchannel and pivoted 0n said body, a locking projection on said armadapted to extend downwardly in rear of said frog and engage theinterlockable ends of the separated fastener elements, an actuatingprojection extending downwardly from said locking arm into a slot in theforward portion of said frog, resilient means in said slot acting uponsaid actuating projection for urging said locking projection intoengagement with said elements, a V- shaped cam surface on said arm, saidribs having elongated slots therein, a pull tab having one of its endsslidably and pivotally mounted in said slots for moving said sliderbackward and forward over said elements and adapted to exert a cammingaction on said cam surface to disengage said projection from saidelements when said slider is moved either backward or forward.

4. A locking slider for engaging and disengaging the elements ofseparable fasteners, comprising a body having top and bottom wings, afrog connecting said wings, a pair of spaced ribs integral with said topwing and extending substan tially the length thereof, said ribs forminga channel therebetween which is open at its top, a locking arm pivotedon said body and positioned in said channel, a locking projection onsaid arm.

and pivotally mounted lin said slots for moving said slider and adaptedto exert a camming action on said cam surface to disengage saidprojection from said elements when said slider is moved.

5. A locking slider for engaging and disengaging the elements ofseparable fasteners on opposite tapes. said slider comprising a bodyhaving top and bottom wings, a frog connecting said wings. said top winghaving an opening therein immediately in rear of said frog, a lockingprojection mounted on said body and extending through said opening andadapted to simultaneously engage at least two adjacent separated ends ofsaid elements on opposite tapes, said projec- 20 Number 25 Number 6 tionhaving one element engaging side offset from the central verticallongitudinal plane of said slider and substantially parallel therewithand the other element engaging side converging rearwardly thereto,resilient means for urging said projection into engagement with saidelements, and means for moving said slider backwards and forwards oversaid elements andsimultaneously disengaging said projection from saidelements when said slider is mot-ed in either direction.

JOHN B. GRIFFIN. ALBERT W. HAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Beckwith Nov. 4, 1941 Lange Jan. 2'7,1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Mar. 14, 1940 SwitzerlandDec. 16,- 1940 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1943

